The present invention relates to an optimal menu inquiry system used to display a plurality of inquiries having a hierarchical structure on a graphic in a computer system having an interactive means for a dialogue between the system and a user, and a system for editing structure data by hierarchical menu inquiry processing while displaying a plurality of inquiries having a hierarchical structure on a graphic screen.
As the first conventional technique associated with menu inquiry processing of this type performed on a computer system, a technique is available, in which when an item is to be selected in response to one inquiry, items on a menu are fixed in a program or a file description. In this case, selection items considered as unnecessary in terms of the context of inquiries are included in menu inquiry processing.
As the second conventional technique associated with menu inquiry processing, a technique is available, in which menu outputs, interpretation of results, and menu determination programs are specially prepared for each inquiry to execute menu inquiry processing in accordance with each inquiry.
In addition, as the first technique of editing structure data, a technique is available, which includes a special inquiry means corresponding to each of inquiries having a hierarchical structure, and an editing means for editing structure data upon determining each inquiry result, thereby constructing structure data.
Furthermore, as the second technique of editing structure data, a syntax-directed editor used to input/edit programs is available. In general, a program is not simply a text but can be regarded as structure data formed by hierarchically stacking texts. This syntax-directed editor is formed, from an attribute grammar describing the meaning and rule of a program language, as a special syntax-directed editor for the program language. The syntax-directed editor serves to construct a syntax tree expressing the structure of the program, thus editing the program as one type of structure data.
In the first conventional technique associated with menu inquiry processing, since selection items considered as unnecessary in terms of the context of inquiries are also displayed, the operability is poor in actually operating the computer system.
In the second technique associated with menu inquiry processing and the first technique of editing structure data, since special processing corresponding to each inquiry is required, the sizes of programs for realizing the inquiry means and the editing means are increased in proportion to the number of inquiries. In addition, when inquires are to be added or constructed data is to be changed after a system is constructed, a corresponding program needs to be added or a prestored program needs to be changed, resulting in poor maintainability.
The second technique of editing structure data is a language-oriented scheme. That is, both the attribute grammar and a syntax tree constructed as the result of inquiry processing conform to the meaning and rule of the language. Therefore, the technique cannot be used for an inquiry system for constructing versatile structure data.